UK developer Kona Energy has secured planning consent for its 200MW battery storage facility in Heysham, Lancashire.
When constructed, the project will be one of the largest in Europe and will form part of Kona’s wider 1GW portfolio.
The project has been strategically located to participate in multiple energy markets, said Kona, and is situated at the landing point of six offshore wind farms, including Walney.
Aside from managing increasing grid constraints, the battery system will provide “crucial” local grid services, in the form of inertia and reactive power support, which will be increasingly important following the closure of the Heysham nuclear power stations in 2024 and 2028.
Kona Energy will provide a financial contribution to a local nature reserve to improve biodiversity and habitat protection in the area, with another to a local community fund.
Kona founder Andy Willis said: “Roughly one billion pounds was spent in the last year curtailing energy from wind farms and other generators, replacing that need elsewhere – usually from fossil fuelled stations.
“Tackling this enormous waste of both money and energy is crucial.
“Further battery storage facilities will significantly reduce this burden and we are proud to be leading the way with the approval of such a critical project.”
Willis said securing planning is “especially significant” because the project is connecting on what the UK power industry refers to as the B7a constraint boundary.
The B7a is one of the most constrained areas in the UK where wind farms and other low carbon technologies are regularly curtailed.
“As these constraint costs rise, projects like this are essential to relieving network congestion and reducing unnecessary waste.”
Willis said Kona has “other major projects” in the pipeline.